Thurs June 5th
Early start and drive up to Assisi. The site was close (3km) from
the town but the pitches were small and it felt very much like a “one night
only” stopping place. Assisi was perched up high above us and looked majestic
in the sunshine. After lunch we scooted up to town and were very pleased to
find we could park anywhere. The policeman on duty was very sharply dressed
with a white version of a London Bobby’s helmet. He was very amused when I told
him this.
View of Assisi as we approached
from above at Rocca Maggiore
lovely streets, but very steep
Assisi has very steep streets with lots to look at in every
direction. It has been restored very nicely with lots of original features
remaining. St Francis obviously features very heavily as he is the reason so
many tourists visit. Born in 1181 he was “a bit of a lad” until when n his 20’s
he had a vision and the rest is history…………
The churches and buildings are gloriously OTT which is ironic
considering that he wanted a humble life and devoted himself to helping the
poor and setting up monasteries.
front of Basilica
The Basilica di San Franciso was free to enter
(?) so we explored every part that was open including his tomb below the main
building. Very humbling to see so many people silently file past his tomb and
the intense atmosphere the space generated.
Rocca Maggiore is the ruined fort high above the town. The hike up to it
in the increasing heat was worthwhile for the splendid views.
Interesting observation about the churches. That's my experience too. In Peru, the churches seem to drip with gold on the inside, yet there is abject poverty on the street outside. Never did seem right to me - I thought the churches were supposed to re-distribute wealth to the unfortunate and the needy, not accumulate it.
ReplyDelete